City of Iron and Dust

De: J.P. Oakes

Narrado por: Dan Calley

"A fantastic book, full of wit and sharp humor, City of Iron and Dust careens through a modernized faerie at a breakneck pace, full of verve and unforgettable characters. Oakes spins a smart, electric, and sometimes snarky tale, showing that the beating heart of modern fantasy is alive and well." (John Hornor Jacobs, author of A Lush and Seething Hell and The Incorruptibles)

The Iron City is a prison, a maze, an industrial blight. It is the result of a war that saw the goblins grind the fae beneath their collective boot heels. And tonight, it is also a city that churns with life. Tonight, a young fae is trying to make his fortune one drug deal at a time; a goblin princess is searching for a path between her own dreams and others' expectations; her bodyguard is deciding who to kill first; an artist is hunting for his own voice; an old soldier is starting a new revolution; a young rebel is finding fresh ways to fight; and an old goblin is dreaming of reclaiming her power over them all. Tonight, all their stories are twisting together, wrapped up around a single bag of Dust - the only drug that can still fuel fae magic - and its fate and theirs will change the Iron City forever.

Contains mature themes.

©2021 J. P. Oakes (P)2021 Tantor

Not afraid to push it.

I love this book. The author is not afraid to push boundaries. In the end of the book I was disappointed disappointed because there was one character that I did not get a closing for. The ending is a roller coaster in the last 3 chapters. But overall is a great read.

Hard boiled revolution light on fantasy

“It is funny, grandma Spreg thinks, how similar fae and goblins are, once you get inside them. All the differences that they fight over and yet so many are only skin deep.”
Turf wars over race, religion, class, and power, with one group at the top and one under foot. The characters are goblin and fae, but until the final hour, this might have well been just another, non-magical story of an oppressed group seeking to rise up against oppression in a war-torn city.

There’s an excellent mood, despite the lack of detail for the setting. It felt very post WW, industrial age, except that the prologue mentioned microwaves (or maybe it was kind of Guy Ritchie gangster-esque?). There’s mention of a phone call, but not cell phones or computers. There are cars and guns, but the most vicious fighter Syl uses a sword.

As a gritty story of revolution, I enjoyed the jagged turns and pressure build to the various POVs intersecting in violence, betrayal, and deliverance. I was disappointed at the scarcity of magic, which for most of the book is present only through illicit dust (a sort of street drug). I’m not sure I bought the ending, but I have to say it packed a punch.

Fast moving action packed story

Loved it. The story had some twists that I did not initially see coming and that is unusual for me. What I loved most was how quickly the story moved. I lose attention easily, but this story did not let you look away. I hope to read more from this author. Dive into some of these characters!

Thoroughly Enjoyed

A unique story well told. Wishing it was a series. So much story left to tell.

Worth the effort

The story is very good and I’m impressed at the choice the author made, writing in present tense, and from everyone’s point of view. It was done well but also made it a bit hard for me to read. I ended up listening to this audio book instead and enjoyed it very much.